The stage is set for the postseason, and the Yankees have confirmed their 26-man roster for the Wild Card Series.
First off, it’s worth noting that Trent Grisham and Giancarlo Stanton are activated from the IL while captain Aaron Judge stays sidelined due to his calf injury. Stanton, who hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since April, will likely pinch-hit. On the other hand, we might see Grisham, who was placed on the IL in early September with a lingering hamstring injury, make the starting
lineup in center over Spencer Jones.
Here’s everything you need to know about each player the Yankees are bringing into the postseason and how they can make an impact in the Wild Card Series against Boston.
Position Players
Cody Bellinger: Expected to take his spot in left field and make clutch defensive plays, Bellinger will also play a critical role in giving the Yankees offense some juice. Even without Judge, he’s still been effective offensively, batting at .287 with a .494 slugging percentage in September.
José Caballero: A utilityman most likely to be deployed at third base, Caballero has the potential to be effective defensively, but will likely rotate with McMahon and Rosario in case of any high-risk scenarios on either side of the ball.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.: Locked in at the keystone, Jazz will likely play second to make room for some alternative options at third base, including Caballero, Volpe, and McMahon. It remains a question of whether the impending free agent will start at second against tough lefties.
Luis García Jr.: Joining the Yankees ahead of the Trade Deadline, García Jr. has a lot to prove after slumping through most of September. If he can bring back his numbers from August, when he batted .290 with a .505 slugging, he has a good shot at making an impact against Boston.
Paul Goldschmidt: Making some big plays throughout the season and trending in the right direction offensively, Goldschmidt brings a strong veteran presence that will serve as an example for the younger guys on the roster. Expect him to start at first against lefties, who he continued to mash in 2026.
Trent Grisham: Despite not appearing in a regular-season game since early September, Grisham could start in center, though he has lost a step defensively and wasn’t batting nearly as well as he did in 2025. Nonetheless, he did register 39 extra-base hits in 121 games.
Spencer Jones: Taking Grisham’s spot in the field since he joined the IL, Jones has been on a positive trend with his development and could be a potent offensive weapon if he makes an appearance in the lineup.
George Lombard Jr.: Yielding promising results on offense and turning heads at shortstop, it’ll be very exciting to see how Lombard performs when the lights are brightest.
Ryan McMahon: Struggling in the last stretch of the season, McMahon could play a pinch-hitting role in place of either Rosario or Caballero at third. If Rosario starts against a lefty, look for McMahon to enter later on defense.
Heliot Ramos: Typically taking his place in right field since joining the Yankees at the Trade Deadline, Ramos has helped give the Yankees’ offense enough of a boost to reach the postseason. He hits lefties better than righties and finished September batting .255 with a .491 slugging percentage.
Ben Rice: Recording 41 home runs in the regular season, Rice will make a huge impact on the Yankees’ offense and may make an appearance at first base if he’s not a designated hitter in the lineup.
Amed Rosario: Possibly starting at third against lefties, Rosario hasn’t actually hit southpaws well in 2026 but raked against them in 2025. He finished September batting .231 with an identical OBP.
Ali Sánchez: Making the roster doesn’t come as a huge surprise for Sánchez, who will serve as a backup for Austin Wells behind the plate.
Giancarlo Stanton: Reinstated from the IL for the first time since April, Stanton will make his return in the postseason and likely serve as a pinch-hitter for when the Yankees need a powerful intimidating presence at the plate. Stanton is one of the Yankees’ all-time leading playoff sluggers, with 18 homers.
Anthony Volpe: Returning to the majors after hitting 11 home runs with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders this season, Volpe has the potential to make an impact on offense. He may not be trusted as much in the field, but there’s a chance he could make an appearance at second over Chisholm against a lefty, or even at third over McMahon and Rosario.
Austin Wells: After struggling early in the regular season, Wells picked it up offensively going into the stretch and has the opportunity to rake if he can get back to his August form — though Boston’s southpaws may challenge him. He finished September with a .154 batting average and a .236 OBP.
Pitchers
David Bednar: Serving as one of the most effective closers this season, Bednar is prepared to completely shut down the Red Sox offense.
Paul Blackburn: One of the most reliable relievers throughout the regular season, Blackburn is expected to keep Boston’s offense at bay and bring a veteran presence to the Yankees bullpen. He finished the regular season with a 1.69 ERA, 69 strikeouts, and a 1.09 WHIP through 89 innings.
Gerrit Cole: Starting for Game 3, if needed, the Yankees pitcher brings a leadership presence that the Yankees rely on without the captain Aaron Judge. The question will be whether or not he can get his home run problem under control (or at least limit the damage to solo shots).
Max Fried: With effective postseason numbers throughout his career, Fried is the best choice to start Game 2 against Boston and hopefully help the Yankees advance to the ALDS. He held the Red Sox scoreless in the playoff opener last year.
Brent Headrick: Maintaining consistency throughout the regular season, Headrick is expected to shine in a relief role throughout the postseason. He finished the regular season with a 2.18 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 78.3 innings. Headrick was used a lot, but did at least get three full days of rest going into today.
Carlos Rodón: After missing a stretch of games in the regular season due to some elbow inflammation, Rodón was outstanding in September and had a good case to start in his own right. As it stands, he’ll take a relief role in this series, and while he’s been great of late, he doesn’t have much bullpen experience in his career.
Cam Schlittler: Taking the starting role in Game 1 against the Red Sox, there is a lot of confidence that Schlittler is ready to shock the world and dominate Boston once again.
John Schreiber: Taking a spot as a relief option if needed, Schreiber may take the mound in a low-risk scenario.
Will Warren: Performing well in the regular season as a starter, Warren will be a reliable relief option to get the Yankees through a jam and looked sharp in late-season bullpen cameos. He finished 2026 with a 3.92 ERA and 158 strikeouts and 1.37 WHIP.
Ryan Yarbrough: The Yankees are likely using Yarbrough as a low-risk option, and he could make an appearance at the bump if there’s a scenario where they need to save a reliever from burning out before the ALDS. Yarbrough is one of the few southpaws on the Yankees’ staff, and he got the nod over the scuffling Tim Hill.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
Download the SB Nation app on iOS or Android.
